“I really like the idea of having an insight on both sides, because as an athlete I have experienced very big events like the Olympics and European Championships, and now I also know everything that goes on behind-the-scenes,” Voss says.
“I know how much stress and discipline it takes, and I’d say the effort of organising such huge events is the same as what an athlete puts in to get to them.”
Voss won gold and silver at the German Championships
Voss confirmed her status as one of the finest artistic gymnasts in Europe by winning the gold medal on the balance beam, and silver in the all-around category, at the German national championships in Frankfurt am Main on 9 June.
“It was nerve-wracking to be on the podium again,” Voss says. “It was my first competition this year, due to a little knee injury and a few issues with my overall health. It went great on the balance beam but we still have a little bit of work to do on the other three apparatus, and that’s the goal for the next few weeks.”
Balance is a recurring theme with Voss. Within days of qualifying for the Olympics last October, the 24-year-old began her part-time role helping to organise the gymnastics competitions at what will be the world’s largest multi-sport event next year.
She is also doing around 20 hours per week of strength and endurance training in her final preparations for Paris.
“It’s my second Olympics, so I know how things are working because I already experienced it one time,” Voss says of her debut at the corona-hit Games in Tokyo three years ago. “I’m very happy it takes place in Europe and that my family and friends can be a part of it this time, and I can really enjoy it.”
Voss has no bigger followers than her family.
“My parents have been my biggest supporters since day one,” she says. “My mother got me into gymnastics and my dad drove me for hours and hours every week. Both never knew if my dream of becoming an Olympian would ever come true, but still they believed in me and I am very thankful for them.”
When not competing, Voss wears a silver necklace of the five Olympic Rings which her mother, Sabine, gifted to her shortly after Voss became an Olympian in 2021.
“The necklace is a great thing to remind me of how far I’ve come,” she says. “It’s a lot more than just five rings. It’s my whole family and the whole team behind me.
“I’m just very grateful that everyone is on my side. It’s not only me, but everyone else who supports me and has my back no matter what.
“I feel everything now is perfectly combined with my goal to be the best version of myself at the Olympics.”